Method and means for use in fitting clothing



' y 1939- E. J. M GRATH, JR

v METHOD AND MEANS FOR USE IN FITTING CLOTHING Filed April 19, 1937 Fig.3

INVENTOR.

M ATTORNEY.

Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND LIEANS FOR USE IN FITTING CLOTHING Claims.

This invention relates to a new method and apparatus by which it is possible to make clothing for a subject, or alter clothing already made.

in such a manner that a substantially perfect 5 fit is obtainable.

Heretofore it was and it is at the present time very difllcult to fit clothing to a subject without requiring several try-ons and alterations during the process of fitting. This is due to the irregularities of posture ofv individuals as compared with the normal posture to which ready made clothing is fitted. No practical method is available at this time by which these irregularities can be determined with any reasonable degree of accuracy. All methods pertaining to photographing of an individual or the projection of a photograph strive to provide a means by which actual linear measurements can be secured. In some cases, a picture of the subject is taken superimposed upon a cross-ruled background, and in other cases, a picture of the subject is taken and this picture then projected on such a background. A further method has been tried in which the subject 'stands back of the maze of vertical and horizontal wires which represent linear distances.

All such methods have proven to be impractical and are not used because of the corrections for difiusion that must be made and also because of the complicated calculations necessary in computing the actual physical contour measurements for the purpose of preparing a pattern to fit the subject. In the manufacture of clothing .made to order, and also in making alterations of ready made clothing, it is vitally necessary that all methods that are used be devoid of burdensome complexities, require little if any instruction in application and eliminate substantially all need for'calculation. a

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a method and an apparatus for the application of this method wherein the physical irregularities of contour of the subject 45 can be determined directly by comparison, and with such results the clothing may be manufactured or iterations made to ready made clothing so tha a substantially perfect fit of cloth! ing is accomplished.

It is a further object of this invention to devise a method in the manufacture of clothing made to order whereby the cloth may cut approximately to size, allowing for the necessary seams, thereby eliminating waste of material which ,now must be provided in the fitting of clothing by innumerable try-ous in the process of manufacture.

-It is a further object of thisinvention to provide a method which is relatively simple in use and gives results usable in our present day meth- 5 ods of making clothing to flt a subject or in altering ready made clothing.

It is a specific object of this invention to pro- I vide a method of making a permanent record of posture irregularitieswhich can be determined 10 directly from the record by means of comparison with standard pattern sizes and-which method can be used-for the purpose of making alterations of clothing made according to the standard patterns to fit any subject desired.

It is to be noted that this method of fitting clothing does not eliminate the need for taking the usual circumferential measurements of chest, waist, hips, etc., which is now the common practice, but this novel method does supplant the impractical and inaccurate method of securing posture irregularities by estimation or by various mechanical contrivances which are likewise inaccurate or which require complicated computation. J

Further objects and advantages of use will become apparent from the specification and the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an arrangement which may be used in applying my 30 invention;

Fig.2 is a front silhouette of a subject corresponding to a front posture which is superimposed upon a screen having represented thereon a series ofpattern sizes; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a silhouette of. the same subject superimposed upon a screen having represented thereon a series of pattern sizes corresponding to the side posture.

Referring to Fig. 1, a source of light illustrated at I is positioned back of a screen.3 a predetermined distance, which distance is sufiicient to eliminate difiusion so that the outline of a subject 8 interposed therebetween will be silhouetted onto the screen 3 accurately, that is, in its substantially true size form. I have found by experiment that sunlight or daylight may be substituted for the artificial means represented, and there are also many other types of reflectors which emit non-diffusing rays, and there are other methods. of making an accurate full size silhouette. -The screen 3 is positioned between a camera 4 and the subject 8. The camera 4 is necessary only in those cases where a permanent record is desired. The location of the camof translucent characteristics upon which patterns may be outlined and upon which a silhouette may be formed. It has been found that Cellulaid and frosted glass may be used. In the case of such substances as paper or Celluloid, the screen may be mounted upon a roll 5, and after the completion of a fitting, the screen may be removed by, rolling onto the roll 5, suspended from a bracket 6, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

A series of pattern outlines conforming to the *front posture are illustrated in Fig. 2.. These patterns may conform to the finished garment or the normal posture to which garments are fitted. The subject 8 is shown silhouetted, and upon the silhouette or outline are superimposed the lines which represent the important outlines outline, such as block patterns used in the manufacture of clothing. I have found that by plac-' .ing a direct source of light 9, as illustrated in Fig. 1, these pattern lines are clearly visible 25 within the silhouette. This source of light may be indirect if desired. The subject may be positioned with reference to the screen by using reference lines 25 and 26.

Assuming the silhouette represented to be the outline of the subject to be fitted, the sloping lines l2 represent a shoulder slope conforming to a series of predetermined pattern sizes. For'instance, line 16 may represent a shoulder slope of size A standard block pattern, and line I! of size B block pattern. The left shoulder slope of subject 8 would conform to size B pattern, while the right shoulder slope'would conform to size A pattern.

derwidths and correspond to-the standard patterns. Likewise, vertical lines ll represent the width of hips corresponding to pattern size and vertical lines 22 the width of the waist. Other lines may be included for the purpose of ascertaining posture comparisons. However, I have merely illustrated some for the purpose of disclosing my lnventiom Fig. 3 illustrates the samesubject 8 positioned at right-angles to that of" Fig; 2 and silhouetted 'uponscreen Shaving represented a series of pattem outlines corresponding to this posture. The subject is positioned with reference to line Ii so that the most extreme point of the back coincides with the reference line. The curved lines 5548 represent the scye or incline of the normal pattern sizes,-and by means of comparison the irregularities of the subject 8 can be determined and the proper alteration made before cutting the material. The amount of sway in the back can be determined by comparison with the vertical lines J8 and the amount of alteration determined' because of the direct reference to standard patterns. Other side irregularities of posture may be determined by graphically reprelines. The same screen or background may be used for both the front and side postures, as represented in Fig. 3.

It is to be observed from the above description that in the use of the present-invention, it is not necessary to. calculate the actual, linear measurements, but by means of comparison, the necessary modifications or alterations over a standard pattern can be determined directly, in

75 other words, the outline of the subject is in a of patterns in proportionate size to the sublects The vertical lines 28 and 2| denote the shoul Sent thereon the rresponding p ter 11 photograph may be taken of the silhouette.which fitting relation to the pattern indicia, and by this visible indication of fitting relation, the conformance and non-conformance of the outline of sary alterations may he made to a ready made garment put over a standard pattern.

This comparison may be made directly from the screen or a photograph 1: 1y be taken and a record made for later use. To accomplish the best results, the subject 8 should be positioned as close as possible to the screen, and in all cases he must assume a normal position in standing which is facilitated because the subject 'is not required to face a camera.

In using the invention disclosed, it is usually necessary to take the usual circumferential measurements, chest, waist and hips of the subject, although it is not necessary since a technique of comparison may be developed wherein; the operator can determine these from the sil-' houette. After such measurements are taken, the subject is then positioned back of the screen, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and withreference to center lines 25 and 26, the irregularities of posture may be noted or a photograph taken.

The subject is then turned to a position illustrated in Fig. 3, which is at an angle of 90 to the position illustrated in Fig. l. The subject may be positioned with reference to.any pronounced part of the body and a corresponding line on the chart, this depending, of course, upon the construction of the pattern sizes on the screen 3. Other positions of the subject may be made, these depending upon the manufacturer or vendor of clothing. I have found by use that the two positions illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 are suflicient.

It is to be observed that my method eliminates substantially all errors of diffusion predominant in methods now known of photographing a sub-' ject. In other words, the outline of the subject's posture is projected accurately in full size and the outline of patterns on the screen is'in full size. This full size representation permits an accurate determination of the irregularities of outline of the, subjects posture as compared with the block patterns as represented thereon. By means of this comparison the necessary alterations of garments manufactured in accordance with a standard pattern as graphically represented on the screen may be made accurately.

Furthermore, by means of this comparison a pattern may be prepared for the purpose of the-cutting and assembling of material into a garment which will properly fit the subject. An example of this use is the practice nowrmade of "made to measure clothing. For the purpose of record a is projected onto the screen and is in a visible ,fitting relation to pattern indicia, which record altering of ready-made garments.

- Having thus described my invention,

I claim:

1. The method of comparing a person to be fitted with a garment to a standard pattern, comprising superposing a substantially true outline of the person by projected light rays on a screen having thereon visible indicia of a standard pattern, and shifting the relative position of the outline and screen to position the outline as near as may be to a fitting relation to the visible indicia of the standard pattern for visibly indicating the conformance and non-conformance of the outline and the standard pattern;

2. The method of comparing a person to be fitted with a garment to a standard pattern, comprising interposing the person between a screen having thereon visible indicia of a standard pattem and a source of light emitting substantially parallel rays toward and substantially normal to the surface of the screen, thereby defining thereon in cooperation with the person a substantially accurate and full sizeoutline of the person, shifting the relative position of the person and screen in directions parallel to the plane of thescreen for positioning the outline as near as may beto a fitting relation to the standard pattern for visibly indicating the conformance and non-conformance of the outline to the standard pattern.

3.- The method of comparing a person to be' fitted with a garment to a standard pattern comprising interposing the person between a translucent screen having thereon indicia of a standard pattern visible on the front face of the screen and a source of light emitting-substantially parallel rays toward and substantially normal to the rear surface of the screen, thereby defining thereon in coooperation with the person a sub- .stantially. true silhouette of the person, shifting the relative position of the person and screen in'directions parallel to the plane of the screen topositiontheoutlineasnearasmaybetoa fiting relationto theindiciaof the standard pat-' tern, rendering the indicia visible both inside and outside of the outline .of the silhouette, and then viewing the silhouette from the front face of the screen for determining the conformance and nonconformance of the silhouette outline and the standard pattern,

4. An apparatus for comparing a person to be fitted with a garment to a standard pattern, comprising a translucent screen having visible on the front side indicia of the' standard pattern, a

silhouette, and a means in front of the screen for photographing the silhouette in fitting relation to the indicia of the pattern, whereby the conformance and non-conformance of thepersonto the standard pattern is visibly indicated.

5. An apparatus for comparing a person to be fitted with a garment to a standard pattern, comprising a translucent screen having visible on the ,front side indicia of the standard pattern, a

source of non-difi'using light positioned in back of and in spaced relation to the screen a sufficient distance to accommodate the person between the source of light and the'back of the screen for forming on the screen a true size silhouette of the person when the person is interposed between the source of light and the screen, a means for positioning the silhouette into fitting relation with the visible indicia, and illuminating means in front of the screen for rendering visible the indicia of the patterns both inside and'outslde of the silhouette, whereby the conformance and non-conformance 'of the per-. son to thestandard pattern is visibly indicated.

nnwsnp maximum in. 

